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Izzie sniffed at my side and cuddled closer. We stayed in silence for a while. Our little family. Bundled together in bed. A family that was almost ripped from me mere hours before.
I hated to bring it up and burst our peaceful bubble. I hated even more that it had to be done at all. “What happened?” My woman shuddered and closed her eyes, distress returning to her face. “I’m sorry. If it’s too much, we can talk about it later.”
“It’s okay. The sooner I get it out, the better.” She ran a finger over our son’s hair, getting the courage from him. “Not long after you called, Mia noticed someone was following us. She seemed to recognize him. He followed us for a while until she realized it seemed to be a trap of some sort.”
“Well, yeah, he was following you.”
“No, beyond that. She thought it was weird he was just following. She said something about him leading us along, so she decided it’d be better to make a U-turn and go back instead of remaining on our route. Before she could do that, a truck came out of nowhere and ran us off the road.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “How did you get help?”
“When Mia noticed the man behind us, she called the company. Danny stayed on the call with us until the crash. He was the one who called for help.”
“And then?”
Before she could answer, a young doctor entered our room. “How are you feeling, Momma?”
“I’m a little better. Just sore. Everywhere.”
The woman gave her a sympathetic smile. “That’s to be expected. You both had quite the ordeal.” She turned to me. “Are you the father?” I nodded like a loon. “I’m glad you could make it. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr...”
“Walker. Benjamin Walker.”
“I’m Ariel Miller. I was responsible for admitting your girl and your baby. We ran some exams on both of them, including an MRI on Ms. Turner.”
Why does it bother me so much that Izzie isn’t referred to as ‘Mrs. Walker?’
“And everything is fine. You’re bound to be sore and uncomfortable for a while, due to the crash and the labor. But nothing that could bother your recovery.”
“What about him? Isn’t it worrisome he came early?”
The doctor gave a patient smile and answered Izzie. “I understand you were thirty-nine weeks along, right?” At our nods, she went on. “Thirty-nine weeks is considered full term in pregnancy. He came when he decided to come. I do believe the crash might have pushed him a little, but he was ready. He’s a strong baby, and his vitals are great. No reason to worry about that.”
“What can you tell us about the labor?” I was almost too afraid to ask.
“I heard your friends had to take charge. It wasn’t an ideal scenario, I give you that. They did a good job, though. It was sure handy to have someone with a medical background. They did everything they could, given their circumstances. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, especially considering your baby’s position.”
That’s when it dawned on me what we’d been hearing in the medical appointments. “He was turned,” I whispered.
“Yes. Your boy was in a breech position. In cases like that, it’s riskier to have a vaginal birth or one without medical assistance. Yet they made it work. Proof of it is that beautiful boy you’re holding. Ms. Turner passing out after what happened isn’t a point of concern right now.”
“She passed out?” I was sure they all could hear my heart thumping fast.
“It was for a brief moment. She woke up on the way here, according to her chart, but yes, she did. As I said, though, it’s not a point of concern. Her exams were great, and the toll a pregnancy takes on a woman is tremendous. She was in labor, in an inhospitable scenario, and had to give birth under less-than-ideal circumstances. It was the way her body found to recharge.”
I held my baby even tighter against my chest, making him mewl, and kissed Izzie’s head again.
“I must say, despite the situation, your friends really stepped up. You’re all lucky everything turned out so fine. If they hadn’t taken charge until help came, the result could be a lot different.”
Once again, shame filled me. “How is she?” At the doctor’s quizzical look, I explained, “The other woman involved in the accident.”
“She refused any care. Said she wouldn’t leave the waiting room until she knew how this duo was. The man who came in with the baby, the one responsible for the labor, said he wouldn’t let her be alone until he, and I quote, ‘talked some sense into her stubborn head.’” She looked at my boy fondly. “He’s a really pretty baby. Do you want him to spend the night here, or would you rather he goes to the nursery?”
“Here,” Izzie and I said in unison.
“If you need anything, or have any questions, don’t hesitate to buzz me. I’m here for the whole night.” With that, she left the room, leaving us in our cocoon once again.
My chest constricted, while my mind played all kinds ofwhat-ifscenarios. It was a grueling game. I couldn’t stop thinking about how close I came to having lost it all. My woman. My baby. My family. My little sister. And all I did was snap at her. Once again, I let my fear dominate me and lashed out in the worst possible way.
